Page 620 - Sociology and You

Rumors at
Warp Speed
Even before e-mail and the Internet, rumors spread like wildfire. Now, with instantaneous and multiple communications, there is vir- tually no limit to how fast a rumor can travel. A recent example demon- strates how quickly rumors can spread through the Internet.
The “gangsta” rapper Tupac Shakur was shot four times while rid- ing in a car on the Las Vegas strip. A week after his death, a rumor sur- faced that he was still alive. This rumor became so widespread on the Internet that the television show Nightline reported it. Nightline gave no credence to the story, but it found the rumor itself worth reporting. The rumor is still believed by many of Shakur’s fans.
The Internet has rumors, gossip, and conspiracy theories to satisfy almost any taste. Conspiracy Nation, a magazine devoted to conspir- acy theories, has a web site that describes dozens of rumors about plots. A recent offering, for example, explored efforts by the “new world order” to clone human beings. Other articles have examined a variety of theories on political assassinations and suicides (Rust and Danitz, 1998). E-mail chain letters spread rumors ranging from im-
pending doom caused by various computer viruses to tales of free vacations and cash prizes (Branscum, 1999). Clearly, the Internet can ac- celerate and magnify the effects of such rumors.
And the effects of rumors can be serious. A recent Internet rumor erroneously charged a reputable on-line information publisher with selling its customers’ credit and medical histo- ries. Another rumor, originated by Internet tabloid journalist Matt Drudge, charged a key Clinton White House aide with wife abuse. These types of rumors can have serious effects on a person’s reputation or the financial stability of a company.
Such damage can now occur overnight, be long lasting, and even become irreversible. “Now the Internet is taking hearsay global at light speed, shaking up the media and blurring fact and fiction like never before” (Rust and Danitz, 1998: 22).
Analyzing the Trends
How much credibility do you give to information from an Internet source? What criteria do you think should be used to evaluate the validity of information?
The rapper Tupac Shakur was widely rumored to still be alive a week after he was shot to death on the Las Vegas strip. This rumor was spread on the Internet.
590 Unit 5 Social Change